12 Days of Christmas in July, part 1 & Giveaway #1

Welcome to my post for Sarah's 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop!  This is my FIRST blog post for this hop!  I was a bit of an overachiever, and came up with 12 different ideas, so, we are spreading my blog posts over 3 different days.  Since my posts are a bit long, if you read all the way to the bottom of the blog post, there is a chance for a giveaway on each of my 12 Days of Christmas in July blog posts.

Ok, lets get started.

#1.  Mini Quilts:
Several years ago, I made Santa blocks for a challenge and exchange.  I made several more than needed, and turned those extra blocks into mini quilts for Christmas gifts for family and friends.  I purchased everyone their own mini quilt stand, so that they could hang their Santa mini quilts. 

Santa #1 in mini quilt stand

Santa #2 in mini quilt stand

 Over the years, I've made more blocks, to add to everyone's mini quilt collection.  Not all of my pictures show finished mini quilts, sorry.  I have a tendency to finish projects last minute, and don't always have time to get good pictures before I have to ship them off.  I'm sure none of you ever do that ;)

Valentine #1

Valentine #2

Birthday cupcake

Fall

Halloween #1

Halloween #2

 

still working on these for Spring

This one was made special for my husband, who is a hiker.  It hangs in his cubicle at work.

Hiking mini quilt

 Mini quilts are great for people who don't have much room.  A mini quilt stand can sit on an end table, on top of a computer desk, in a dorm room, or in a nursing home, etc.  


#2.  Fabric (travel) Trays:
My mother in law paid good money for a hard sided, leatherette travel tray.  She uses it to put her jewelry in when she travels.  Hers is heavy, and not nearly as cute as a fabric travel tray.

Fabric trays are good for travel, and just for sitting next to your bed, on the bathroom counter, or, as a holder for 'stuff' on an end table.  I made 2 Fabric trays for hubby.  Hubby camps and backpacks, and needs a place to put his contact case at night.  I used snaps on the corners of one, and the other I used velcro.  Hubby likes the velcro better (also easier to make it that way).  The snap tray he keeps by his bed, to put all that pocket 'stuff' in each night.

showing front and back of Fabric trays

A friend could never remember where she put her glasses at night, so, I made one for her glasses.

longer and skinnier, for glasses

Of course, I finally made some for me, too.  I gave one away, when I showed them to my little quilt guild.  That lady uses hers for her remote controls.

my Fabric trays

I didn't use a pattern for these, but, there are several patterns on the web, if you need one.  I started with how large I wanted the bottom of the tray to be, then added 2.5" for the sides (finishing at 2").  I quilted lines where the folds would be, then added velcro dots to the corners.  Nothing fancy, since all of these were made on a straight stitch machine.


#3.  Pillowcases:
My sister in law requested pillowcases for everyone in their family for Christmas a few years ago.  Pillowcases are great for kids, college students, family and friends.  One of my favorite pillowcases is one made by a friend, that I use when I travel.  Pillowcases are also good to include with a quilt, especially for college students, so that they have a pillow to match their dorm quilt.  Here is a link to one of many tutorials on how to make a pillowcase.

chain prepping a stack of pillowcases

Camping pillowcases and pillows are also a great idea.  Hubby backpacks, and wanted a zippered pillowcase for his camping pillow.  I made him 2 pillowcases.  These were my first zippers.  A great way to learn zippers.

not a bad zipper

camping pillowcase #1

camping pillowcase #2

We flew to Alaska, to visit our son and daughter in law, last August.  We were traveling all night, so, I knew I'd want a pillow.  This is what I made for myself.

my camping/travel pillowcase

 These would also be great for kids, for in the car, sleepovers, etc.


#4. Fabric Baskets: 
I had fun making the 1 Hour Fabric Basket a while back.  I used pre-quilted fabric from my stash.  It did take a bit longer than one hour, but, not much, and, I was making 2, not 1 basket.  Both of these baskets are in use.  One of these days, I'll make me more baskets.  

my 2 Fabric Baskets

There are lots of Fabric baskets out there.  Here is the link to the 1 Hour Fabric Basket. 

These baskets are great for holding blocks, fat quarters, projects, etc.  They would also be great for holding kids toys, for dorm rooms, etc.  

You could also make other Fabric Baskets.  I purchased these 2 baskets at a quilt show.  They can stack inside each other.

more Fabric Baskets

That is the end of my first 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop post.  Well, not quite.  First, here are the other participants, and their dates.

Here are the blogs participating in the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop!

Friday, July 14th

From My Carolina Home

Vrooman's Quilts

Pampered Pettit

Saturday, July 15th

Citymousequilter

Vicki's Crafts and Quilting

Quilting Fun

Sunday, July 16th

Swimming in a Sea of Estrogen

Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting

Monday, July 17th

Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats

Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life

Crayon Box Quilt Studio

Tuesday, July 18th

Seams To Be Sew

Stitchin at Home

Domestic Felicity

Wednesday, July 19th

The Colorful Fabriholic

Smiles From Kate

Thursday, July 20th

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting

The Inquiring Quilter

Selina Quilts

Friday, July 21st

Katie Mae Quilts

Quilted Blooms

QuiltFabrication

Saturday, July 22nd

Devoted Quilter

Kathy's Kwilts and More

All Points of the Compass

Sunday, July 23rd

Mel's Quilting Blog

Resourceful Momma

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting

Monday, July 24th

Anja Quilts

PickingandStitching

A Dream and a Stitch

Tuesday, July 25th

Christina's Handicrafts

Abyquilts

And... my first Giveaway!  Remember those mini quilts?  Well, I have some mini quilt kits and patterns to give away.

EEK! mini quilt kit & pattern

Brrr! mini quilt kit & pattern

Snowman, pattern only

*Here are the Rules!  First, if I can't reach you, you lose out, so, PLEASE, when you leave a comment, make sure your email address is included.  I can NOT reach Google+ commenters, and No-Reply commenters.  If I don't reply to your blog comment within 48 hours, then I can't reach you.  Try again, with your email attached.  ALSO, let me know in your comment, WHICH prize you want to win.  You can only win one, so, I'll divide the comments up for each prize.  List EEK!, Brrr!, or Snowman in your comments.  I'll draw a winner on July 26th, after the blog hop is over, to give everyone a chance to comment.  You do NOT have to be a follower to win.  If you can't comment on my blog, look under my profile, at the top of the blog, and my email address is there.  Send me an email, and what blog post you are commenting on, and I'll enter you in the contest.  See, EASY!  Also, I reply to every comment that has an email attached, since I think comments are IMPORTANT.  

Good luck! 

**Bonus Giveaway!

And as if great holiday ideas and a tutorial weren't enough, this year we've got something extra special!  The lovely folks over at Free Spirit Fabrics have donated not just one item for a giveaway, but THIRTEEN!  And it's pretty drool-worthy stuff, too - it's Tula Pink's new holiday line, Holiday Homies!!!

Sarah has six design rolls, six layer cakes, and one fat quarter bundle to give away - and here's how we're going to do it!  Visit each stop on the hop, including this blog, and leave a comment on each post for the day.  At the end of the hop, Sarah'll do a giveaway for each day by putting everyone's name in the hat who commented that day (from all that day's hop-blogs), and drawing a winner for that day.  That will be twelve winners - the design rolls and layer cakes.  Then SarahI'll put all the names from all the days in a hat and draw out a grand prize winner for the fat quarter bundle!  Only one prize per person, though - let's spread it around a bit!  So carve out a bit of time to visit all the blogs and comment - it makes the time spent on each post worth it when you see what people think about your work!